Dear George
George Washington and the First Census of Agriculture
Objective
Students will
• Translate excerpts from letters by George Washington into modern
English.
• Read excerpts from letters by George Washington about the United
States in its infancy and compare conditions Washington describes with
recent conditions, based on current census data (provided).
• Compose a modern-day reply to one of Washington’s letters, based on
current census data (provided).
• Design brochures to promote selected agriculture commodities.
• Design surveys and use US Postal Service, email and social media to
correspond with students in other parts of the country and compare
modes of modern communication.
Background
Oklahoma Academic
Standards
GRADE 6
Social Studies PALS—
1.A.1,2,3;B.4,9,10;C.7,8,9; D.10;
2.B.7,8,9
Social Studies
Content—1.1,2,4,5; 5.2A
English Language Arts—1.R.1,3;
2.R.1,2,3; 4.R.1,3,5; 6.R.1,2,3;
7.R.1,2; 1.W.1,2; 3.W.2;
6.W.1,2,3,4; 7.W.1,2
Math—N.1.3; 3.1,3,4; 4.4; D.1
In 1791 President George Washington, received a letter from an
Englishman named Arthur Young requesting information on land values,
crops, yields, livestock prices, and taxes in the US. Young was an English
agriculturalist who thought Washington was as good a farmer as he was a
GRADE 7
general. By personally conducting a mail survey and compiling the results,
Social Studies PALS—
Washington was able to gather enough information to reply fully to his
1.A.1,2,3;B.4,9,10;C.7,8,9; D.10;
English correspondent. This was, in effect, the nation’s first agricultural
2.B.7,8,9
survey.
Social Studies Content—1.1,2,5
Between September 24 and November 18, 1791, Washington sent
English Language Arts—
Young three letters that provided agricultural statistics on an area extending
1.R.1,3; 2.R.1,2,3; 4.R.1,3,5;
roughly 250 miles from north to south and 100 miles from east to west.
7.R.1,2; 1.W.1,2; 3.W.2;
The strip ran through an area which is today Pennsylvania, West Virginia,
6.W.1,2,3,4; 7.W.1,2
Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, where most of the young
Math—N.2.3,5; A.2.2,3; D.1.1
country’s population lived at that time.
Washington’s reports to Young reflect some of the same concerns
farmers have today. He worried that prices weren’t keeping up with the cost
GRADE 8
of raising crops. He worried that some farmers weren’t good stewards of the
Social Studies PALS—
land. He worried about the cost of transporting agricultural goods to markets 1.A.1,2,3;B.4,9,10;C.7,8,9; D.10;
and improving those routes.
2.B.7,8,9
Washington asked Congress to establish a National Board of
Social Studies Content—2.3a;
Agriculture in 1776, but Congress rejected the idea at that time. The issue
4.1b,3
wasn’t raised again until 1839, when Commissioner of Patents Henry
English Language Arts—
Ellsworth persuaded Congress to designate $1,000 from the Patent Office
1.R.1,3; 2.R.1,2,3; 4.R.1,3,5;
Fund for “collecting and distributing seeds, carrying out agricultural
7.R.1,2; 1.W.1,2; 3.W.2;
investigations, and procuring agricultural statistics.”
6.W.1,2,3,4; 7.W.1,2; D.1.3
In 1840, the first Census of Agriculture collected detailed agricultural
www.agclassroom.org/ok
Vocabulary
agriculture—the science or
occupation of cultivating the
soil, producing crops, and raising
livestock
analyze—to study or find out the
nature and relationship of the parts
of
assess—to set a value on (as
property) for tax purposes
bale—a large bundle of goods
tightly tied for storing or shipping
bushel—any of various units of dry
capacity
census—a counting of the
population (as of a country, city,
or town) and a gathering of related
statistics done by a government
every so often
comprehensive—including much or
all
contemptible—the state of being
despised
correspondent—one who
communicates with another by letter
cwt—abbreviation for
hundredweight, a unit of weight
equal to 100 pounds
data—facts about something
that can be used in calculating,
reasoning, or planning
husbandry—wise management of
resources
livestock—animals kept or raised;
especially farm animals kept for use
and profit
statistics—a branch of mathematics
dealing with the collection and study
of numerical data; also, a collection
of such numerical data
survey—to gather information from
or about
uniform—of the same form with
others
yield—the amount or quantity
produced or returned
information to provide the first nationwide inventory of agricultural
production.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) was established by
Abraham Lincoln in 1862, and its first crop report appeared in July,
1863. The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) traces its
roots all the way back to 1863, when USDA established a Division of
Statistics.
During the Civil War, USDA collected and distributed crop and
livestock statistics to help farmers assess the value of the goods they
produced. At that time, commodity buyers usually had more current
and detailed market information than did farmers, a circumstance that
often prevented farmers from getting a fair price for their goods.
Today NASS is responsible for conducting the Census of
Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture is a complete accounting of
agricultural production in the United States and is the only source
of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the
nation. From 1840 to 1920 the Census of Agriculture was taken every
10 years. Since 1925 the census has been taken every five years, in the
years ending in 2 and 7. In addition, NASS field offices in every state
produce a wide variety of reports throughout the year, along with an
annual report. The reports are used by producers, researchers, the news
media, people involved in financial markets and many others. These
reports are compiled only for the top agricultural commodities from a
sampling of state producers contacted at random. In contrast, the census
of agriculture reports on every agricultural commodity produced in the
state, based on surveys collected from every producer.
English Language Arts
1. Read and discuss background and vocabulary.
—Lead a discussion about the difference between the way
information was shared in George Washington’s time (by letter)
compared with the way we acquire information today.
—Ask students how they would find the kind of information
Arthur Young asked George Washington to provide. (online search
engines, US Census of Agriculture website, etc.)
2. Provide students with the excerpts from George Washington’s
letters to Arthur Young and others, included with this lesson.
—Students will rewrite the excerpts in modern English.
3. Provide each student with the Census of Agriculture data included
with this lesson and a copy of the modern-day version of the letter
Arthur Young might have written to George Washington.
—Students will use the data provided to compose a reply.
—Students will include information about the following topics in
their letters: land value, crops, yields, and livestock prices.
—What has happened since 1791 to change farm labor and the
value of land in our country? (industrial revolution, mechanization
of much farm labor, population growth making land more valuable,
www.agclassroom.org/ok
westward expansion, people moving away from the farm)
4. Divide students into groups.
—Each group will select either a commodity or a state or region and use the census data to develop
promotional brochures, posters, Power Point or other technology-based presentations.
5. Students will design surveys to gather information about your school.
—Students will present the information to local audiences in a variety of forms—charts, graphs, prose, oral
presentation, technology-based presentation, etc.
6. Students will design surveys about agriculture in another state or country.
—Make arrangements to connect with a classroom in another state or country.
—Divide your class into two groups.
—One group will use email or social media to correspond with the other class while the other will use the
US Postal Service.
—Track responses on a map of the US or the world.
—As a culminating activity, connect with the other classes via Skype or FaceTime.
—Students will discuss advantages and disadvantages of each method of communication.
7. Arthur Young thought George Washington “was as good a farmer as he was a general.” Students will
research George Washington and write papers supporting or refuting this claim.
—Students will list at least three facts to support the claim that Washington was a good farmer and at least
three facts to support the claim that Washington was a good general.
8. George Washington was ahead of his time in many of his farming practices. Provide students a copy of
George Washington’s farewell address to read.
—Discuss his advice for the nation and the impact and consequences of his advice. What did Washington
have to say about agriculture in his farewell address?
Social Studies
1. Use an overhead projector or smart board to show students the excerpts from George Washington’s letters to
Arthur Young found on the Issue Pages included with this lesson.
—Read through each excerpt and discuss for meaning.
—Provide copies of the Issue Pages.
—Students will work in pairs or groups to answer the questions on the Issue Pages.
—Students will use the census data provided with each issue paper to answer the questions and prepare
statements that compare modern day agriculture in the US with agriculture in the United States in 1791.
—Students will share what they have learned with the class.
—Students will prepare discussion questions for classroom discussion of the issues. Some sample
discussion questions follow:
• Why was agriculture so important to President Washington, as leader of a new nation, that he personally
conducted a survey to gather information about it?
• Washington told Arthur Young that at that time labor was more valuable to the American farmer than
land. Who were the laborers?
• What special circumstances existed then that do not exist today? (slavery)
• Who are today’s agricultural laborers? (students, family members, immigrants)
• What special issues surrounding labor exist today?
Math
1. Students will complete the last column on the Farm Real Estate chart by figuring the percentage of change
from 2014 to 2015 for each state and region.
2. Students will select the appropriate graph form and graph one or more sets of data in the tables provided. A
guide to graphing is included in the “Resources” section on the OAITC website.
3. Students will find the measures of central tendency for one or more sets of data in the tables provided.
Additional Reading
Adler, David A, George Washington: An Illustrated Biography, Holiday House, 2005.
Bial, Raymond, Where Washington Walked, Walker & Co., 2005.
George Washington’s Letters About
Agriculture (Excerpts)
Long before cell phones, email and social media, people relied heavily on letters for sharing all kinds of
information. The following are quotes from letters George Washington wrote to an English agriculturalist,
Arthur Young, and others. Read the quotes, and then rewrite them in modern English, as though you were
writing them to a friend today. Try to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words by reading them in context. Pay
attention to punctuation, capitalization and spelling that is different from what is considered correct today.
Circle examples of capitalized words or punctuation that would be considered incorrect today.
1. I have a prospect of introducing into this Country a very excellent race of animals also, by means of the
liberality of the King of Spain. One of the Jacks which he was pleased to present to me (the other perished at
sea) is about 15 hands high, his body and Limbs very large in proportion to his height; and the Mules which
I have had from him appear to be extremely well formed for Service. I have likewise a Jack and two Jennets
from Malta, of a very good size, which the Marquis de la Fayette sent to me. The Spanish Jack seems
calculated to breed for heavy, slow draught; and the other for the Saddle or lighter carriages. From these,
altogether, I hope to secure a race of extraordinary goodness, which will stock the Country. Their longevity
and cheap keeping will be circumstances much in their favor. I am convinced, from the little experiments I
have made with ordinary Mules, (which perform as much labor, with vastly less feeding than horses) that
those of a superior quality will be of the best cattle we can employ for the harness. And indeed, in a few
years, I intend to drive no other in my carriage: having appropriated for the sole purpose of breeding them,
upwards of 20 of my best mares.
George Washington
(Letter to Arthur Young, December 4, 1788)
2. . . . . Of hogs many, but as these run pretty much at large in the Woodland (which is all under fence) the
number is uncertain . . . .
George Washington
(Letter to Arthur Young, December 12, 1793)
3. Every improvement in husbandry should be gratefully received and peculiarly fostered in this Country, not
only as promoting the interests and lessening the labour of the farmer, but as advancing our respectability
in a national point of view; for in the present State of America, our welfare and prosperity depend upon the
cultivation of our lands and turning the produce of them to the best advantage.
George Washington
(Letter to Samuel Chamberlain, April 3, 1788)
4. When I speak of a knowing farmer, I mean one who understands the best course of crops; how to plough, to
sow, to mow, to hedge, to Ditch and above all, Midas like, one who can convert everything he touches into
manure, as the first transmutation towards Gold; in a word one who can bring worn out and gullied lands
into good tilth in the shortest time.
George Washington
(Letter to George William Fairfax, June 30, 1785)
Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
5. To tell a farmer. . . that his Cattle & ca. Ought to be regularly penned in summer and secured from bad
weather in winter, and the utmost attention paid to the making of manure for the improvement of his fields at
both seasons; that his oxen should be well attended to, and kept in good and fit condition, thereby enabling
them to perform the labor which they must undergo; to remind him of these things would, I say, be only
observing what every Farmer must be thoroughly sensible of his duty enjoins...
George Washington
(Letter to William Pearce, September 23, 1793)
6. I think it would be no unsatisfactory experiment to fat one bullock altogether with Potatoes; another,
altogether with Indian meal; and third with a mixture of both: keeping an exact account of the time they are
fatting, and what is eaten of each, and of hay, by the different steers; that a judgement may be formed of the
best and least expensive mode of stall feeding beef for market, or for my own use.
George Washington
(Letter to William Pearce, December 7, 1794)
7. No wheat that has ever yet fallen under my observation, exceeds the White which some years ago I
cultivated extensively; but which, from inattention during my absence from home of almost nine years has
got mixed or degenerated as scarcely to retain any of its original characteristic properties. But if the march
of the Hessian Fly, Southerly, cannot be arrested. . .this White Wheat must yield the palm to the yellow
bearded, which alone, it seems, is able to resist the depredations of that destructive insect. This makes your
present of it to me more valuable. It shall be cultivated with care.
George Washington
(Letter to John Beale Bordley, August 17, 1788)
Source: The George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799
Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Dear George
Use the Census of Agriculture data provided to compose a response to this letter.
June 30, 2016
Dear George,
It was nice to get your letter and to hear all about your school, your town and your friends. I loved the
photos you sent of your family’s camping trip. What a beautiful place!
It’s always interesting to hear about life in your country. I hope I get to visit there sometime. I would also
love for you to come visit me. As you know, my family has a farm, and when I am not in school, I am usually
helping with that.
What is farming like in your country? What kinds of crops grow there? Are there some crops that your
country produces more than any other? How much is produced in a year? What kind of livestock do you raise?
How much does farm land cost? Is it more expensive in certain parts of the country? Does the price stay the
same, or does it go up and down from one year to the next?
I know you have a big country and that agriculture must be different in different states. How is the
agriculture in your state different from agriculture in other parts of the country? Is there one kind of crop that is
grown in all the states? What about livestock? What crops and livestock are most common in your state?
As you can see, I have many questions. Thank you again for your letter. I look forward to hearing from you
again.
Your Friend,
Art
Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Farm Real Estate: Average Value per Acre, by Region and State, 2011-2015
REGION AND STATE
NORTHEAST
Connecticut
Delaware
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
LAKE
Michigan
Minnesota
Wisconsin
CORN BELT
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Missouri
Ohio
NORTHERN PLAINS
Kansas
Nebraska
North Dakota
South Dakota
APPALACHIAN
Kentucky
North Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
SOUTHEAST
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
South Carolina
DELTA
Arkansas
Louisiana
SOUTHERN PLAINS
Oklahoma
Texas
MOUNTAIN
Arizona
Colorado
Idaho
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
Utah
Wyoming
PACIFIC
California
Oregon
Washington
UNITED STATES
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
(dollars)
4,690
11,600
8,140
2,080
6,870
10,900
4,560
12,800
2,450
5,070
3,450
3,600
3,160
3,880
4,460
5,390
5,070
5,410
2,420
4,160
1,290
1,290
1,840
930
1,090
3,520
2,750
2,750
3,510
4,350
2,580
3,610
2,340
5,130
3,610
2,980
2,300
2,440
2,200
1,580
1,280
1,670
899
3,330
3,330
2,060
710
830
410
1,510
400
3,280
5,360
1,470
1,720
(dollars)
4,790
11,200
8,150
2,070
6,760
10,400
4,440
12,300
2,650
5,300
3,880
3,890
3,740
4,110
5,190
6,210
5,840
6,530
2,710
4,640
1,620
1,620
2,420
1,160
1,330
3,530
2,840
2,840
3,520
4,260
2,540
3,530
2,390
5,160
3,260
3,010
2,440
2,620
2,400
1,620
1,370
1,690
953
3,370
3,370
2,140
760
980
460
1,730
490
3,660
3,960
1,720
1,850
(dollars)
4,850
11,100
8,170
2,100
6,930
10,400
4,310
12,800
2,600
5,430
4,240
4,300
4,300
4,100
5,880
7,100
6,400
7,700
2,850
5,100
1,960
1,960
2,800
1,550
1,690
3,610
3,020
3,020
3,570
4,310
2,550
3,590
2,500
5,200
3,300
2,980
2,520
2,700
2,550
1,630
1,450
1,680
1,010
3,500
3,500
2,220
790
1,000
500
1,850
560
3,970
6,440
1,900
2,020
(dollars)
4,930
11,200
8,180
2,080
6,900
10,400
4.280
12,800
2,700
5.600
4,640
4,700
4,700
4,400
6,370
7,520
6,950
8,500
3,100
5,550
2,280
2,280
3,120
1,820
2,070
3,690
3,150
3,150
3,600
4,320
2,560
3,630
2,600
5,250
3,300
3,010
2,640
2,850
2,670
1,790
1,580
1,850
1,070
3,740
3,740
2,360
860
1,000
480
1,800
520
4,010
6,600
1,800
2,000
(dollars)
5,020
11,300
8,180
2,090
7,000
10,400
4,280
13,000
3,000
5,500
4,740
4.900
4,900
4,700
6,350
7,500
7,150
8,000
3,350
5,750
2,340
2,340
3,050
1,920
2,320
3,730
3,250
3,250
3,650
4,320
2,600
3,670
2,630
5,400
3,270
3,010
2,780
3,050
2,800
1,900
1,730
1,940
1,100
3,780
3,780
2,470
890
1,000
480
1,810
510
4,050
6.700
1,780
2,030
2,300
2,520
2,730
2,950
3,020
CHANGE
15 2014(percent)
Source: Land Values 2015 Summary (August 2015), USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, http://www.usda.gov/nass/PUBS/TODAYRPT/land0815.pdf
Crop Summary: Production, United States, 2015
GRAINS & HAY
Crop
Corn for Silage
Unit
2015
1,000 tons
126,894
Oats
1,000 bushels
89,535
All Wheat
1,000 bushels
2,051,752
1,000 bushels
11,496
Sorghum for Silage
Barley
Rice
Rye
Proso Millet
All Hay
OILSEEDS
Peanuts
1,000 tons
1,000 bushels
1,000 cwt
1,000 bushels
1,000 tons
4,475
214,297
192,343
14,159
134,388
Canola
1,000 pounds
1,000 pounds
6,213,790
Sunflower
1,000 pounds
2,923,730
1,000 bushels
10,095
Soybeans
1,000 bushels
Safflower
1,000 pounds
Flaxseed
Rapeseed
Cottonseed
Mustard
COTTON, TOBACCO AND SUGAR CROPS
Cotton
Tobacco
Sugarbeet
Sugar cane
POTATOES AND MISC.
Potatoes
Sweet potato
1,000 pounds
1,000 tons
1,000 pounds
711,236
1,000 tons
32,549
1,000 tons
1,000 cwt
1,000 cwt
1,000 pounds
1,000 gallons
1,000 pounds
Dry edible beans
1,000 cwt
Wrinkled seed peas
1,000 cwt
Lentils
Dry edible peas
Austrian Winter Peas
4,153
12,943
1,000 pounds
DRY PEAS, BEANS AND LENTILS
1,520
1,000 bales
Spearmint oil
Taro
214,251
26,927
1,000 pounds
Maple Syrup
3,929,885
1,000 pounds
Hops
Peppermint oil
2,875,010
1,000 cwt
1,000 cwt
1,000 cwt
35.278
440,498
31,016
1,807
5,882
3,070
3,414
3,502
30,121
5,276
384
18,283
260
Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Livestock: Total Inventory by State, 2014
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
United States
Sheep and Lambs
1,000 head
150
590
365
250
56
50
155
75
49
81
135
83
220
76
80
81
75
27
66
117
53
195
94
270
39
730
280
83
55
32
83
355
5,245
Hog and Pigs
110
1
139
115
110
700
3
4
17
155
9
Meat Goats
Cattle and calves
4
310
83
45
24
19
22
8
1,270
10
920
1,640
5,250
2,550
47
16
1,670
1,040
133
2,240
1,130
860
3,800
5,800
2,110
790
85
182
39
1,130
2,300
930
3,850
2,550
6,250
460
32
27
1,310
1,450
810
1,750
1,250
4,300
1,280
1,610
5
335
3,700
1,760
11,100
810
260
1,510
1,110
385
3,400
1,270
67,776
2,105
88,526
4.700
3,700
21,300
1,840
340
8
5
21
9
1,170
8,100
575
2,850
176
3,200
2
4
10
1
70
8,800
140
2,230
2,120
9
1,140
2
255
1,270
210
810
810
4
280
50
25
38
85
22
37
58
11
14
18
31
25
37
58
19
12
17
23
19
85
8
20
7
6
20
22
45
3
47
75
23
39
36
12
110
810
11
Statistics of Cattle, Hogs and Sheep, https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Ag_Statistics/2015/Chapter07.pdf
Issue # 1: Cost of Labor
President George Washington to Arthur Young, 1791 (in response to questions about agriculture in the U.S.)
South of Pennsylvania, hired labor is not very common, except it be at harvest, and sometimes
for cutting grass. The wealthier farmers perform it with their own black Servants, whilst the
poorer sort are obliged to do it themselves. That labour in this Country is higher than it is in
England, I can readily conceive. The ease with which a man can obtain land, in fee, beyond the
mountains, to which most of that class of people repair, may be assigned as the primary cause
of it. But high wages is not the worst evil attending the hire of white men in this Country, for
being accustomed to better fare than I believe the labourers of almost any other Country, adds
considerably to the expence of employing them; whilst blacks, on the contrary, are cheaper; the
common food of them (even when well treated) being bread, made of the Indian Corn, Butter
milk, Fish (pickled herrings) frequently, and meat now and then; with a blanket for bedding:
In addition to these, ground is often allowed them for gardening, and priviledge given them to
raise dung-hill fowls for their own use. With the farmer who has not more than two or three
Negros, little difference is made in the manner of living between the master and the man; but far
otherwise is the case with those who are owned in great numbers by the wealthy; who are not
always as kind, and as attentive to their wants and usage as they ought to be; for by these, they
are fed upon bread alone, which does not, on an average, cost more than seven dollars a head pr.
Ann. (Excerpt of letter from the George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 17411799)
Summarize Washington’s opinion of the cost of farm labor in the US in 1791.
Compare labor costs today in the different regions, as shown in the following chart.
Where are labor costs highest?
Where are labor costs lowest?
What observations can you make about the cost of labor today as compared with the cost of labor in 1791?
What trend do you notice in the labor force of then versus today?
What other trends do you notice in the data?
Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Issue # 1
Wage Rates by type of Worker: Region and United States, October 11-17,2015
REGION
NORTHEAST I
Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
NORTHEAST II
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania
APPALACHIAN 1
North Carolina, Virginia
APPALACHIAN II
Kentucky, Tennessee, West
Virginia
SOUTHEAST
Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina
FLORIDA
LAKE
Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin
CORNBELT I
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
CORNBELT II
Iowa, Missouri
DELTA
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi
NORTHERN PLAINS
Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota,
South Dakota
SOUTHERN PLAINS
Oklahoma, Texas
MOUNTAIN I
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
MOUNTAIN II
Colorado, Nevada, Utah
MOUNTAIN III
Arizona, New Mexico
PACIFIC
Oregon, Washington
CALIFORNIA
HAWAII
UNITED STATES
Field
Livestock
(dollars per hour)
12.25
(dollars per hour)
12.24
Field and livestock
combined
(dollars per hour)
12.25
Wage rate for all
hired workers
(dollars per hour)
12.97
12.15
11.48
11.90
12.67
10.65
11.13
10.75
11.35
11.34
10.96
11.25
11.91
10.72
11.34
10.85
11.22
10.75
12.53
11.50
12.20
10.83
12.40
12.10
13.28
12.63
11.68
12.45
13.12
12.82
12.48
12.70
13.03
10.57
10.89
10.65
10.95
14.59
13.86
14.30
14.72
10.91
11.25
11.10
11.87
11.79
11.59
11.70
11.98
11.49
10.64
11.15
11.70
11.05
11.86
11.35
11.95
14.12
12.41
14.00
14.39
11.85
12.70
13.15
14.70
12.05
12.85
13.16
14.68
12.11
12.02
12.09
12.82
Source: Land Values 2015 Summary (August 2015), USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, http://www.usda.gov/nass/PUBS/TODAYRPT/land0815.pdf
Issue # 2: Use of the Land
President George Washington to Arthur Young, 1791 (in response to questions about agriculture in the US):
An English farmer must entertain a contemptible opinion of our husbandry, or a horrid idea of
our lands, when he shall be informed that not more than 8 or 10 bushels of Wheat is the yield
of an Acre; but this low produce may be ascribed, and principally too, to a cause which I do not
find touched by either of the Gentlemen whose letters are sent to you, namely, that the aim of
the farmers in this Country (if they can be called farmers) is not to make the most they can from
the land, which is, or has been cheap, but the most of the labor, which is dear, the consequence
of which has been, much ground has been scratched over and none cultivated or improved as it
ought to have been; Whereas a farmer in England, where land is dear and labor cheap, finds it
his interest to improve and cultivate highly, that he may reap large crops from a small quantity
of ground. That the last is the true, and the first an erroneous policy, I will readily grant, but it
requires time to conquer bad habits, and hardly anything short of necessity is able to accomplish
it. That necessity is approaching by pretty rapid strides. (Excerpt of letter from the George
Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799)
Source: The George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799
Washington criticizes farmers of his day for taking the abundance of land available for granted and not caring
for it properly. American farmers had to learn the hard way that this resource was not limitless, although it may
have seemed so in Washington’s time.
Why was Washington upset? Look at the acreage and production table that follows to determine if farmers got
better? If so, when?
Select one of the crops and make a line graph to show acreage and production for the years shown.
Prepare a statement describing the difference between then and now, based on Washington’s letter and the data
provided.
Prepare a statement describing the acreage and production related to an event in US history. (Civil War,
Homestead Act, etc.)
Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Issue # 2
Acreage and Production of Corn, Wheat, Oats and Barley, 1866 to 2015
year
1866
1876
1886
1896
1906
1916
1926
1936
1946
1956
1966
1976
1986
1996
2006
2015
corn acreage
1,000 acres
30,017
55,277
73,911
89,074
95,624
100,561
99,452
93,154
87,585
75,247
65,828
71,300
69,200
73,147
70,648
87,999
corn yield wheat acreage wheat yield oat acreage oat yield million barley acreage barley yield
million
1,000 acres
million
1,000
bushels
1,000 acres
million
bushels
bushelS
acreage
bushels
731
15,408
170
7,935
232
754
18
1,478
28,283
309
14,589
327
1,978
41
1,783
36,312
514
24,426
682
3,027
74
2,671
40,828
523
30,248
775
4,131
97
3,033
46,230
741
33,688
1,023
6,744
179
2,425
53,510
635
39,098
1,139
7,613
159
2,547
56,616
832
42,854
1,152
7,917
166
1,506
49,125
630
33,654
793
8,329
148
3,217
67,105
1,152
42,812
1,478
10,380
363
3,445
49,768
1,005
33,333
1,151
12,806
257
4,117
49,768
1,005
33,333
1,151
12,852
377
6,266
70,771
2,142
11,946
546
*
*
7,072
60,700
2,092
*
*
12,000
611
9,293
62,850
2,282
2,687
155
6,787
397
10,535
46,810
1,812
1,576
94
2,951
180
13,601
54,644
7,520
2,052
90
3,558
214
Source: Land Values 2015 Summary (August 2015), USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, http://www.usda.gov/nass/PUBS/TODAYRPT/land0815.pdf